Story perspectives

Deadly Bite Found on Plesiosaur Fossil Reveals Predator Behavior

3/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers identified a bite from Xiphactinus embedded in the neck of a Polycotylus plesiosaur fossil from Alabama's Mooreville Chalk.
The injury shows no healing and likely occurred at or near the plesiosaur's death.
The finding implies top predators in Cretaceous seas could inflict fatal injuries on one another.
The study questions whether the bite resulted from competition or feeding behavior and notes the publication in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Story summary

Researchers identified a bite from Xiphactinus embedded in the neck of a Polycotylus plesiosaur fossil from Alabama's Mooreville Chalk.
The injury shows no healing and likely occurred at or near the plesiosaur's death.
The finding implies top predators in Cretaceous seas could inflict fatal injuries on one another.
The study questions whether the bite resulted from competition or feeding behavior and notes the publication in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.